246^th Meeting - Tuesday, March 9th 2004

Perceptions of Education in Thailand

A talk by Dr. Alain Mounier

No minutes were ever produced for this talk. Here is Alain’s outline introduction: 

The presentation will address the following question: To what extent may social actors’ conceptions of education allow achieving the Education Reform objectives? The Educational Reform was enacted in 1999 and is under implementation. Its main objective is to improve the quality of education in Thailand after a period of very rapid quantitative growth of the national educational system. Blurred philosophical foundations of the educational reform let an open space to different interpretations and give social actors a clear field. Some do hope that new orientations of education may contribute to modernise Thai society towards more individualistic and democratic ways. The presentation will explore, on the basis of the results of field surveys, whether or not such hopes can come true.

Alain Mounier is doctor in economics (French PhD) and currently director of research in the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD). He has taught and written extensively on economic and social development issues and has worked as an adviser for several governments and international agencies in Africa and Latin America. He is currently an adviser in Chiang Mai University for enhancing research and teaching in the related fields of education and labour.

247^th Meeting – Tuesday, April 6^th 2004

Hilltribes in Cambodia and Vietnam

A talk by Andrew Hardy

Unfortunately, minutes for this most interesting and informative talk never materialized.